By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
MOSCOW, Russia – President Duterte told the international community that he will not hesitate to kill anyone involved in the illegal drug trade as he revealed that there are two generals involved in the illegal drug trade.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the members of his delegation hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Polyana 1389 Hotel in Sochi on October 3, 2019. (KARL NORMAN ALONZO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte made the statement amid reports that there were still police officers in the country recycling illegal drugs seized in narcotics operations.
During the forum of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Duterte said that two generals, who he did not name, continued to benefit from the illegal drug trade.
"And right now, even as I fly here and go back. There are about again two generals who are still playing with drugs. And I said, 'Well, I told you do not destroy my country because it is being flooded with drugs,'" he said.
Duterte then said there was nothing wrong with him threatening to kill anybody who destroys the Philippines.
"This is I would pose to the entire community of the world. Is it wrong for a President to see --- to say, rather --- that: 'Do not destroy my country, especially the children, because I will kill you?' And that was my order to the armed forces and to the police," he said.
"And we saw mayors, city mayors, and the chairman of the most basic unit of government, 50,000 into drugs. And when I took over, I found out about nine generals were involved in the trafficking of drugs," he added.
The President also thought that there was nothing wrong if Filipinos were encouraged by his pronouncements to kill drug personalities.
"People say that my pronouncements actually encourage everybody to kill the drug lords and drug addicts. You know, frankly, I would be happy to --- if that things happened," he said.
According to Duterte, he has been engaged in many fights since he became president, so he had to quickly do something about the problem with illegal drugs.
"I said I’m not only fighting corruption from the inside of government. I was fighting corrupt --- corruption and the trafficking of drugs even in my government. And that is why I had to do something very fast," he said.
Before leaving for Moscow, Duterte said that he would wait for the Senate to finish its inquiry on the ninja cops before he acts on it. He, however, assured that the probe on police officers involved would be fair.
Duterte also reserved judgment on Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde, who was allegedly able to acquire a sports utility vehicle after his former subordinates in Pampanga reportedly conducted an irregular anti-drug raid in 2013.
"If it comes to a serious thing as dismissing a top official here and there, it has to be for a good reason and there must be enough proof," he said.
Baguio City Mayor and former PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Benjamin Magalong alleged that 200 kilos of shabu were seized that time, but operatives declared that only about 38 kilos were confiscated.